“It really, really only has a benefit to one particular customer and that is a customer who starts their journey on the bus, where there is no ticket vending machine, and doesn’t have exact change,” he says, “and for me it seemed like a lot of money for that one customer.”

Morgan says the current system used by Calgary Transit costs the city very little in comparison to what a smart card system would cost.

“One of the challenges is our current system is very efficient, very cost efficient,” he says. “The cost of actually providing the current system of tickets and fares is about four per cent, which is very low.”

In 2016 the city implemented tap-and-go on LRT platforms, as well as kiosks that let you pay by smartphone.